Government has disclosed that the Mchinji-Mwami One Stop Border Post (OSBP) will be launched for operationalization in the next two months by the two Heads of State for Malawi, President Lazarus Chakwera, and his Zambian counterpart, Hikainde Hichilema. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Christina Zakeyo, made the remarks on Monday during a Media S Roundtable Discussion in Lilongwe on the OSBP initiative. Zakeyo said they are currently waiting for legislation on the part of Malawi for the management of OSBP facilities. “The legislation was developed and enacted in the recent sitting of Parliament and is now due for accent by the President,” she said. Zakeyo said within the next 21 days from the date enactment after which it will be gazetted and due for enforcement after 30 days. Therefore, she said, they are anticipating that once the process is concluded, Malawi will launch and legally operationalize the facilities. Zakeyo believed that OSBP is a game changer that will significantly change the way of doing business at the border if utilized well. Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Deputy Commissioner responsible for Customs, Chimwemwe Kawalewale said Malawi stands to benefit a lot in terms of revenue by using OSBP. “Efficiency of border operations is a significant contribute to the economy of the country,” he said. TradeMark for East Africa (TMA) Malawi Programme Manager, Victor Mponda Banda said media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of information regarding the initiative. The Mchinji – Mwami OSBP is an inter –...

The Ministry of Trade and Industry has said it expects the roll out of One Stop Border Posts (OSBP) to cut time wastage at the borders by 70 percent. Principal Secretary for Trade and Industry Christina Zakeyo was speaking in Lilongwe during a media round table meeting on the soon to be operationalised Mchinji—Mwami OSBP. Zakeyo said the operationalisation of OSBPs is one of the initiatives by the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, aimed at enhancing trade facilitation between Malawi and its partners, including Zambia. According to Zakeyo, the significant reduction in the time spent at the borders would help in promoting exports as it would mean local businesses spending little resources at the borders, thereby making the country’s exports competitive. She said the OSBP is one of the important components in the World Trade Organisation’s Agreement on Trade Facilitation that is aimed at overcoming the challenges associated with multiple stops that cross border traders encounter. According to Zakeyo, to maximise the full benefits of the facility, the country’s private sector needs to up its effort in value addition to take advantage of the improvements at the border to export Malawian products to its trading partners including Zambia, DRC and Zimbabwe. Commenting on the OSBP Malawi Revenue Authority Deputy Commissioner responsible for Customs, Chimwemwe Kawalewale said efficiency of border operations is a significant contributor to the economy of a country. He said efficiency gains will place Malawi as a key investment destination and thus promote economic competitiveness....

The Government through the Ministry of Trade and Industry says the establishment of One Stop Border Posts (OSBP) will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in border clearance processes through the elimination of all duplications and delays. Speaking with reporters after Mchinji-Mwami OSBP Media Roundtable  in Lilongwe, Principal Secretary for the Trade and Industry Christina Zakeyo said OSBP is one of the important components in the WTO’s Agreement on Trade Facilitation that is aimed at overcoming the challenges associated with multiple stops that cross-border traders encounter when crossing the borders. Zakeyo added that the Mchinji-Mwami OSBP is the first of its kind to be constructed in Malawi and there are others under different stages of development in Mwanza, Songwe, Muloza and Dedza. “The OSBP arrangement is expected to ease most of the trade challenges that traders in the country in have been facing when crossing the borders to do business with the neighbouring countries and the region. “For instance, with the establishment of the OSBP, we anticipate enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in border clearance processes through the elimination of all duplications and delays.  This is expected to result in the reduction of time it takes to cross the border by almost 70% and this would subsequently lead to reduced cost of doing business and products for our consumers,” she explained. She went on to say that the  OSBP facility has also modernized and added stock to trade support infrastructure in the trade space particularly the trade corridors of Nacala as well as...

The Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Trade and Industry held a sensitization workshop at the Mchinji-Mwami One Stop Border Post (OSBP) aimed at creating awareness about the new One Stop Border Post (OSBP) to the community and economic operators in the district and beyond. Supported by TradeMark Africa through funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the workshop was led by the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Christina Zakeyo, senior officials from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) and the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA). Participants, including border officials, District Council members, religious leaders, village elders and various border community members were sensitized on how an OSBP operates, its efficiencies and expectations on cooperation. Speaking at the workshop, the Director of Trade at the Ministry for Trade and Industry, Charity Musonzo said: “This OSBP will significantly change the way of doing business at the border by improving cross-border trade; free movement of people and enhancing trade facilitation in general, thereby further accelerating Malawi’s trade integration of the regional and world markets. ” Under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), we are exposed to a market of over 1.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than US$2.5 trillion across Africa. This OSBP therefore becomes a strategic tool for leveraging our own and our neighbours’ respective trade potential.” Zakeyo also enumerated the benefits that the users and the local community would derive from using the OSBP. ”With the new infrastructure present...

While the Federal Government of Nigeria has for years been nursing the idea of introducing the electronic single window platform for cargo clearing at the ports, shippers in East African countries and Singapore are reaping the benefits of such a facility. The single window is a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge information and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. Read original article

The Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) has said the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) constructed in Mchinji at the Malawi—Zambia border will improve revenue generation as it will enhance formal cross border trade. MRA Head of Corporate Affairs Steven Kapoloma said this during a sensitisation workshop at the Mchinji— Mwami OSBP aimed at creating awareness to the community and users. Kapoloma said the one stop boarder post is encouraging formal trade as it will increase revenue for the government and consequently development in the border community and the country at large. “We are committed to working with individuals that use this OSBP to ensure their products are well classified so that they have a smooth transition as they use this border and transport their valued products across the Nacala corridor and beyond,” he said. The Mchinji—Mwami OSBP is an inter -governmental project implemented by partners from the integrated border management, including the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) and other Zambia and Malawi border control agencies. An OSBP uses harmonised legal and institutional framework, facilities, and associated coordinated procedures and processes that enable goods, people, and vehicles crossing a border, to stop only once in the country of entry. The traders undergo necessary regulatory controls in line with applicable regional and national laws to the adjoining state. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Chritina Zakeyo expressed similar sentiments to Kapoloma saying the border will change the way business is done at the border. “With the new...

Government of Malawi, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry, has embarked on creating awareness to the community around Mchinji-Mwami border on how they can utilize the One Stop Border Post (OSBP) for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in border clearance processes. Speaking on Friday during a sensitization meeting with the community and other players on how it will operate and the benefits, Principal Secretary (PS) for Trade and Industry, Christina Zakeyo, said the facility has come with lots of benefits to the people surrounding it. “This will consequently reduce the time spent at the border and trade turnover will increase significantly,” Zakeyo said. On his part, Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) Head of Corporate Affairs, Steve Kapoloma, noted the impact on revenues that will be created by traders using the border post. “Through this sensitization, we are encouraging formal trade because this will increase the revenue for the government and consequently development in the border community and beyond,” he said. Kapoloma added, “As MRA we are committed to working with individuals that use this OSBP to ensure their products are well classified so that they have a smooth transition as they use this border and transport their valued products across the NACALA corridor and beyond.” Trade Mark East Africa (TMA) Economic and Trade Advisor, Victor Mponda-Banda, said the Mchinji OSBP is an important milestone for Malawi in cementing its position as a key player in trade in the Southern African region. It sets a positive precedent for other similar projects in...

Participants from last week’s joint business forum be- tween Uganda and South Sudan in Juba have resolved to boost trade and investment ties between the two countries through industrialization and infrastructure development, writes NICHOLAS BAMULANZEKI. The talks were intended to identify ways to enhance investment opportunities between both countries and consequently improve the livelihood of their people. According to the Foreign Affairs ministry, the forum created enormous benefits for both countries, including employment opportunities and a larger market access for both goods and services. South Sudan is one of Uganda’s largest trading partners. In 2021, trade between the two countries was worth $389 million, according to the 2021 Bank of Uganda report, not considering the large volumes of informal trade across the borders. Uganda’s exports to South Sudan amounted to $482.46 million, while imports were $10.25 million, about 37.34 percent of Uganda’s exports within the East African Community. What’s more, exports from Uganda to South Sudan have increased at an annualized rate of 46 per cent, from $17.3 million in 2012 to $357 million in 2020. The top exports include foodstuffs such as grain, sorghum, cane sugar and chemically pure sucrose in solid form. The South Sudan-Uganda Business Forum is a private sector-driven event where over 30 businesses are exhibiting products from the sectors of agriculture, agribusiness, cosmetics, arts and crafts and services such as banking, and telecommunications, among others. It is on this background that Brig Gen Ronald Balya, the Uganda ambassador to South Sudan, noted that the agreement...

Trade between Commonwealth member states has been growing exponentially, with intra-commonwealth trade expected to surpass $700B in 2022 .The Commonwealth has been a part of the development of AfCFTA since inception, and has remained steadfast in its commitment to work with African countries, in strengthening and deepening their national and institutional capacity, together with developing trade policies over the years. How can member states leverage their commonwealth connections to collaborate and drive sustainable economic growth in Africa? The combined GDP of Commonwealth countries, with a total population of over 2.4B, is now around US$13 trillion Intra-Commonwealth trade expected to surpass $700 billion in 2022 AfCFTA facilitates better access to trade across the continent for all Commonwealth citizens in member states The 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) took place in Kigali, hosted by the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame in late June. Prince Charles, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson were among the dignitaries who attended the meeting. In his remarks, President Kagame noted that the Commonwealth’s objective is to drive inclusive growth and a common future, such that no nation, particularly the small developing countries, is left behind. Baroness Scotland highlighted that her ambition was to facilitate trade within countries. “At the heart of our mission is trade, the lifeblood of economic activity and the arteries of the economic relationships between our Commonwealth member countries. This is the true Commonwealth advantage.” In light of this, she officially launched the Commonwealth Digital Trade...

Digitization of logistics and compliance with sustainability policies will shape the future of logistics in African markets. Digitalization involves the development of digital platforms that match supply to demand, whether it be courier apps that deliver groceries or platforms that coordinate freight delivery. Sustainability significantly overlaps with compliance and regulatory requirements. This means stricter regulations on emissions from logistics vehicles, monitoring of cargo ship pollution, and other issues. The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive damage to global supply chains, with challenges including route congestion and blockages, a global shortage of key logistics components including shipping containers, lack of space in warehouses, a spike in transportation costs, and substantially increased demand for goods around the world, post-lockdown. Supply chain stability is also under question due to increased tensions as the Russian-Ukraine war drags on. According to The Africa Logistics, measures to heal and strengthen ailing chains include digitizing parts of the supply chain, increasing manufacturing capacity in low-cost markets, reducing reliance on single-source suppliers, improving supply chain infrastructure through public and private funding, integrating sustainable practices into supply chain management and carefully monitoring changes in government policy across multiple jurisdictions. While the Logistics market in Africa may be drastically weakened after the global pandemic, many effective treatments for their repair and strengthening are already underway. Thorny challenges reveal immense opportunities. The world is once more looking at Africa as a potential growth market, so we need to be on top of our game. Digitization of logistics and compliance with sustainability policies will shape...